Politics
Senate Presidency: Tinubu Breaks Silence On Alleged Preferred Candidate
Published
2 years agoon
By
Editor
The President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Monday, said he does not have any preferred candidates for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly.
Asiwaju Tinubu stated this disclosed this while addressing new members-elect to the National Assembly at a meeting organised by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC at the Old Banqjet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
This is as the APC has charged the Sebators-elect and the House of Representatives-elect not to rest yet over the electoral victories that paved their ways to the 10th National Assembly, but should go back to work for the party’s victory on Saturday, March 18 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections in their various states.
The President-elect’s position on the composition of the leadership of the soon-to-be composed 10th National Assembly was delivered at the meeting by the Vice President-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima.
There were speculations that the meeting was convened by the ruling party to sort out the likely distribution of leadership offices in the two chambers of the next National Assembly, to avert a repeat of the 2015 scenario in which the party lost control of the affairs within the chambers, despite having the most seats in both Houses.
READ ALSO: Tinubu Moves To Form Govt Of National Unity, Pacify South East With Senate Presidency
In his speech at the parley, the National Chairman of APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, said it was an understatement to say that the ruling party is the clear choice of the people.
According to him, “Three times, we asked the people to give us the thumbs up; and three times they did not hesitate to do so. They did so in 2015. They did so in 2019. They have now done it again in 2023. It reminds us that to whom much is given, much is expected. It is an understatement to say that much has been given to us and we must reciprocate by giving much more to the people and our dear country.”
He expressed happiness that although the notice for the meeting was short, the response, has been overwhelming.
Adamu said: “It is not an understatement to say that our presence at this meeting points to our preparedness to join hands with the president-elect as he works on his plans to renew our hopes and rebuild our confidence in our government.”
He told the President-elect, and Vice-President, that they are the new team Nigeria.
He said, “From May 29 this year, the burden of our national unity, peace, and development will rest on your shoulders as a team. The national assembly elections produced infusions of the old and the new. This blend of the young and the old should be a recipe for a harmonious working relationship.
“The exuberance of the new members must be moderated by the age and the experience of the returning members, some of whom are now almost permanent fixtures in the legislature.
READ ALSO: JUST IN: Shettima, Adamu Meet APC NASS Members
“Your elections testify to the people’s renewed hope in the capacity of our party and its leaders at all levels, to deliver on its promises to build a prosperous, united, and inclusive nation in which the green passport is our collective identity as compatriots.
“It is a matter of personal pride tinged with humility for me that with your unequivocal support and singular commitment to our common cause as a party, I have been privileged as the National Chairman of our party to lead it to victory. As the Onitsha man likes to say, it was not easy.
“It should be no less a matter of our collective pride equally tinged with gratitude that despite whatever our detractors and mischief makers may say, APC has continued to deepen our democracy and has given back to the people the power to institute governments of their choice.
“It is fair and honourable to admit that the February 25 elections were not perfect. We did not set out to conduct perfect elections. World history has no instances of perfect elections. Like all other democratic nations, we set out to conduct free, fair, and credible elections. This we did.
“I am proud to say we achieved this feat and delivered on the promise made by President Muhammadu Buhari to the people.
“For the first time in living memory in respect of our elections, there were no allegations of vote-buying and outcry over all the other ills associated with the conduct of our elections. Rigging may not be dead, but it has been decapitated. Our democracy is maturing, and we are maturing with it.
“From the results of the February 25, 2023 general elections announced so far by the electoral umpire, INEC, the APC won the presidency, clean and clear, and a majority in both chambers of the national assembly.
READ ALSO: Five Factors That Helped Tinubu Win Presidential Election
“We chose not to rout the other political parties because they are our partners in our national progress and development. I look forward to the governorship and state houses of assembly elections on March 18. I am sure the results will make our victory even sweeter.
“We deemed it necessary to convene this meeting for three critical reasons. The first is for the NWC, which is the organ charged with the day to day running of the Party to welcome you, for and on behalf of the National Executive Committee (NEC) to the APC family and to impress upon you the fact that APC is much more than a political party. A family is a unit with shared common interests and common objectives.
“The elections at the national level are over. We are now in the critical phase of forming a government. It is a tough phase because whatever we decide from this moment will make or mar the new administration. It is not our portion, Mr President-elect.
“We would like to emphasise teamwork. Neither as president nor as legislators can any one of you go it alone. Once the President and Vice-President are sworn-in and the National Assembly is inaugurated, each of you becomes the face of our government, just as each of you becomes the face of our party in governance.
“Whatever you do and whatever you fail to do will either impact positively or negatively on the interests of the party as a family. Let us remember this in all that we shall be doing in each of the two arms of government, to wit, the executive and the legislature.
“The president-elect needs help in putting together the new national team that will help him make a positive difference in the institution of good governance. I know his policies will be guided by the party manifesto.
“I urge you, as legislators, to familiarise yourselves with the party manifesto and our President’s plan of action, so that you understand your role and appreciate why certain decisions are taken by the president.
“Secondly, a democratic government is a government freely instituted by the people. A government of the people by the people is a servant of the people in the service of the people. We must never lose sight of what this entails in our form of government. Despite your wealth and your sartorial elegance, you still must be prepared to dirty your hands in serving the people. You must not relish your bigmanism at the expense of the interests and the hopes of the people who gave us the vote. On the day you received the people’s vote you signed a binding sacred social contract with them.
“Thirdly, the news media and especially the social media are full of speculations of some of you jostling for leadership positions in the national assembly.
“This is not unusual. People have the right to struggle for positions of leadership for which they believe they are eminently qualified. But we, in the national working committee of the party are not comfortable with the tone adopted by those who seek those offices. Those offices are not tribal or sectional rights and must not be so portrayed.
“We would like to offer a word of caution to all of you in this regard. It may be good to start early but sometimes when you start too early you jump the gun and court unintended consequences that may cause nasty divisions in the party and thus affect its health.
“Leadership positions at the national level is a delicate matter and must not be approached with levity or lack of seriousness.
“It may be good to start early but it is wiser to be patient. Some of you may recall what happened to the party and the National Assembly in 2015 when some members of the national legislature chose not to wait for the decision of the president and the party in sharing those offices. It created bad blood within the party and between the executive and the legislature. I urge us not to regress.
“The president-elect and the party leadership will make appropriate consultations in working out a formula for sharing those offices. I assure you that whatever sharing formula the Party and the President-elect arrives at will be fair, just, equitable and satisfy the majority of our members.
“For Mr President-elect and Vice-President elect, the task ahead of you is huge, even frightening. This is the time for you and the party to gird our loins and focus on hitting the ground running from May 29, 2023.
READ ALSO: Tinubu: Oshiomhole Speaks On 10th Senate
“I know you are men with a purpose. I know that you are driven by the love of the people and the country in seeking this exalted office. I salute you and give you my blessings and the blessings of the national executive committee and the national working committee of our Party.
“Let me draw attention to the forthcoming Governorship and State Assembly elections scheduled for March 18, 2023. I urge you to return to your respective states and give all the necessary cooperation to the Party and APC candidates contesting the elections.
“There must be no misunderstanding between the state teams and yourselves that may affect the fortunes of the Party at the elections. You must therefore join hands with the existing structures in the state to bring victory for our Party. I wish you luck.”
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Politics
We May Not Have A Country If APC Retains Power In 2027 – El-Rufa’i Warns
Published
8 hours agoon
August 3, 2025By
Editor
Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, has issued a warning about Nigeria’s future, declaring that the country’s survival is at risk if the All Progressives Congress (APC) wins the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on Saturday, August 2, in Sokoto at a grassroots mobilisation rally for the opposition coalition led by the African Democratic Congress (ADC), El-Rufai made clear his intention to campaign vigorously against the ruling party.
“I’m not in politics to get anything for myself. I’m in politics to serve,” he stated.
“When the government does not serve the people, it is my duty as a senior citizen to come out and condemn it and take steps to reverse the situation.
READ ALSO:How Atiku, El-Rufai, Amaechi Can Learn From Tinubu’s School Of Politics
“That is why we come together as people opposed to the policies of this government to form the coalition, which has resulted in the adoption of ADC,” he explained.
El-Rufai, a former key member of the APC, said he is committed to rallying Nigerians across the country to unseat the party, describing it as “incompetent.”
“We are in Sokoto to begin the process of mobilising Nigerians against the APC government anywhere and the federal government in Abuja,” he said.
READ ALSO:Atiku, El-Rufai Coalition Seeks INEC Registration For New Party
“I believe that if we allow this party and the government to continue for a second term in office, what remains of Nigeria’s social capital will be destroyed, and we may not have a country at all. This is a fight for our lives.”
El-Rufai was once a founding figure of the APC but left the party in March 2025 to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP) following the Senate’s refusal to confirm his ministerial nomination, reportedly due to security concerns.
However, his time in the SDP was short-lived. The party expelled him and imposed a 30-year ban, citing alleged forgery of membership documents, among other accusations.
Now a leading figure in the opposition ADC, El-Rufa’i joins other prominent politicians in working against the APC ahead of the 2023 polls.
Politics
Opposition Will Collapse In Edo Before 2027, Says Okpebholo
Published
9 hours agoon
August 3, 2025By
Editor
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, on Saturday, said there will be a total collapse of the opposition in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He stated this during the flag-off of the campaign for the August 16th Senatorial by-election in Edo Central Senatorial District in Uromi.
He urged the candidates of the opposition parties to decamp to the ruling All Progressive Congress and join him in developing the State.
The governor was accompanied by the chairman of APC, Jarrett Tenebe, to receive decampees at the event. He expressed happiness that members of all other political parties are joining APC to ensure that development continues.
READ ALSO:Okpebholo Must Apologise For Threatening Peter Obi – Rights Group
The decampees from PDP include Alhaji Esiwele Musa, Abraham Osazuwa, Sunny Ejie, and Robert Okoneme, amongst other PDP leaders across the 51 wards.
He said, “This is a test for 2027. I can tell you that 2027 is sure. Before 2027, there will be no opposition in Edo State anymore as all will join the APC because of the developmental achievements in the state.
“Hon. Joseph Ikpea will take over from me in the Senate. In this election, we will win five local governments out of five. We must win the entire 51 wards in the five local governments that make up the Senatorial District.
“I understand that it is only the candidates in the other parties that have not decamped to our party, the APC. I advise them not to waste their money but to join our party. If they give you money, take it and vote for the APC. The money is our money.
READ ALSO: APC Now Mourns Buhari After Blaming Him For Failures—ADC
“We promised to give the President 2.5 million votes, and we are ready to deliver on our promises. We will not talk much because the election is a done deal. This is the first test for us as we do not have any opposition in the State anymore,” he said.
In his remarks, the Deputy Governor of the state, Dennis Idahosa, urged Esan people to support Okpebholo as he has brought development to the state due to his relationship with President Bola Tinubu.
He noted that the election is the first step to appreciate the president.
He said, “The President sees our Governor as his son, and the State enjoys the dividends of democracy. This is the first step to appreciate the governor and the president. We would not accept anything less than 90 per cent victory in the election.”
The APC party Chairman, Jarrett Tenebe, who presented the party’s flag to the party’s candidate in the Senatorial by-election, Hon. Joseph Ikpe,a encouraged him to ensure he continues from where the Governor stopped in the Senate.
READ ALSO:Okpebholo Inaugurates Boundary Dispute Committee In Edo
He noted that the governor, as a Senator, brought development to the Senatorial District.
Presenting the party’s symbol, which is the broom, to decampees at the event, Jarrett Tenebe thanked the governor for duly informing the Chairman of Esan North East Local Government Area about the flag off of the day, saying that it was the right thing to do.
He urged the decampees to join and support the party, and the Governor to ensure the developmental strides continue in Edo State.
The Director General of the Edo Senatorial by-election and former Speaker Edo State House of Assembly, Victor Edoror, commended the people for coming out en masse. He urged them to make sure they keep the spirit of the door-to-door campaign for the candidate of party and the election to ensure victory.
The APC candidate in the Senatorial by-election, Joseph Ikpea, thanked the party for the trust and promised to continue with the developmental strides the Governor brought to the Senatorial District as a Senator.
The APC Edo Central Senatorial leader, Gen. Cecil Esekhaigbe (rtd); APC Edo South leader, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu; Deputy State Chairman of APC, Sylvester Aigboboh; and other leaders, urged the people to all come out en masse to vote for the APC candidate in the by-election.
Politics
Anambra guber: Soludo Raises Alarm, Alledges Plot By APC To Manipulate Election
Published
16 hours agoon
August 3, 2025By
Editor
Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo has raised the alarm over an alleged plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to manipulate the forthcoming November 8, 2025, governorship election in Anambra State.
He also warned candidates from Anambra South vying for the governorship seat against destabilizing the state’s political balance.
The governor made the allegation while speaking at a massive All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) rally held at Ekwulobia Urban Stadium on Saturday. He stated that Anambra is “too big for charlatans” and must not be distracted by what he described as impostors and unserious aspirants.
He vowed that “street urchins won’t govern a state that produced Zik, Nwafor Orizu, Ojukwu, Achebe,” as he rallied party faithful in Aguata Local Government Area of the state.
READ ALSO:IPOB Faults Soludo For Linking Igbo Youths To Kidnapping
Soludo dismissed as deceitful the promises made by some candidates to serve only one term, insisting that such individuals require “psychiatric evaluation.”
“Anambra doesn’t need street urchins as governor. This is the state that produced the likes of Zik of Africa, Dr. Nwafor Orizu, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, and Prof. Chinua Achebe, among others. It is too big for charlatans,” he declared.
He further alleged that some candidates were merely using their campaigns to extort money from unsuspecting businessmen and the public. According to him, the achievements of his administration over the past four years justify his bid for a second term.
In a renewed call for peace, Soludo again offered amnesty to armed groups hiding in the forests, urging them to surrender and embrace rehabilitation or face the full weight of the law.
READ ALSO:Any Politician Promising Single Term Needs Psychiatric Test – Soludo
Visibly impressed by the turnout at the rally, the governor noted that he had not yet officially launched his campaign but was humbled by the support.
He revealed that the rally was entirely organized and funded by party members determined to see him re-elected.
The rally, which took place on August 2, 2025, endorsed Soludo for a second term in office and adopted Chief Emma Nwachukwu as APGA’s candidate for the Anambra South senatorial by-election scheduled for August 16, 2025.
READ ALSO:Soludo Wins ‘Governor of the Year’ For Transformation of Anambra
It drew an impressive crowd of party loyalists, traditional rulers, community leaders, and political stakeholders.
Also in attendance were the APGA National Chairman, state and local government executives, and former Deputy Governor, Dame Virgy Etiaba.
In a show of solidarity, APGA stakeholders in Anambra South presented a N100 million donation to support the governor’s campaign. Traditional rulers in the senatorial district also honoured Soludo with the “Olu Atuegwu” chieftaincy title — a title that has already been conferred on him in Anambra North and Central, respectively.
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